Just seen that in today in 1962 SAFC beat the Wonga boys 3-0 at Roker Park. A nice typical scoreline, and nearly 58000 people were there. Thats a cracking crowd. Finushed 3rd in division 2 and the champions that season were Liverpool. So they havnt always been in the top division. But looking at the team. Monty Cecil Irwin Stan Anderson Len Ashurst Charley Hurley Jimmy McNab Harry Hooper George Herd Brian Clough Willy McPheat Jack Overfield. Manager Alan Brown. Now my questions. What was it really like at Roker Park with such massive crowds? Lots of old familiar names, how good was that team? Who the **** are Willy McPheat. Jack Overfield and Harry Hooper?
Ive seen Monty, Hurley, Cec, Herd & Ashurst play. Not sure about the rest, Roker park was a sh*thole but it was my sh*thole. Loved the place. Roker or Fulwell end was magical. Crushed against barriers, moving a good 10-15 yards forward when you scored and still being in the same place when it calmed down. Too old to go back to standing now mind so pleased the SoL is all seater.
Q1, Those crowds were awesome and extra special, especially night matches at Roker, this,was pre the Fulwell end being covered and the Roker end being twice the size it was prior to Roker Park closing, the noise was unbelievable, this is the Roker Roar was born mind you many years before the 60s. I used to stand in the Fulwell paddock with my dad and elder brothers, just cause there was less crush than being behind the goals. I remember going to a midweek match v Man Utd and we couldn't get into our normal spot so got into the Roker paddock, I was about 14/15 so it was around 64/65, The crowd were packed in and I spent the whole time in the ground including half time and my feet never touched the ground, how people weren't crushed to death I'll never know, all seater stadiums are good but those days were magnificent. Q2.That team got better when McPheat and Overfield were replaced with Johnnie Crossan and George Mulhall in 63. McPheat was a decent player and linked up well with Cloughie, Harry Hooper wasn't bad either. I don't really remember Overfield but the promotion team of 64 included Brian Usher at outside right and Nick Sharkey at centre forward this being after Cloughies injury. We had a really decent team then but typical Sunderland Alan Brown left after getting us up and we never fulfilled our promise, just like today eh..nothing changes.
We were getting together a good team back then and Roker was virtually a fortress. Having said that Liverpool were a class apart and turned us over big style, 1-4 if I remember correctly. This was Shankly getting their act together. Harry Hooper and George Herd were a great duo and tore most teams apart down our right. Great days, great crowds, unbelievable atmosphere.
How comes Harry Hooper. Willy McPheat or Jack Overfield are rarely spoke about? Ive heard of the rest, but it wasnt till i went on statcat this morning that i'd seen they mentioned.
If I remember correctly Liverpool was a night game and I was in the Fulwell end with my mates it was a big crush and us kids were passed over the crowed to the touchline. I echo the comments about Willy McPheat, Harry hooper a talented winger but cannot remember Jack Overfield other than I recognise the name. Willie McNab was as hard as nails and as far as I remember we lost to Liverpool but the atmosphere was cracking.
I was at roker park the day Cecil Irvin scored his wind assisted only goal for us. Against Nottingham forrest
I had just left school and working as a app bricklayer around mid to late sixties Just googled it 1968 October
Once before his injury my old mate was talking about it last week. He took me but I have a vague recollection I think I was about 11
First point. Liverpool certainly haven't always been top division. In fact, the only club to have been ever present there since the war is Arsenal. I can remember eight of the present Prem teams being in the third division - and I'm not sure if Swansea haven't as well. What was Roker like? On the Fulwell End you had a world class comedian every five yards. Brilliant. I was once told that when the Roar got up it could be heard in South Shields. In the forties and fifties, society was still very disciplined - not just ex-servicemen but merchant seamen, land girls, munitions workers, etc. - and the football match was the one place where you could laugh, sing, jump up and down, and shout your bloody head off. It was a great occasion. It will never be re-created, because we've lost the military discipline that had made it such a relief. The 1962 side was good second division, but that's about it. McPheat's career ended when Bremner went studs up over the ball and broke his leg.
I remmember well the 1964 promotion team I went to a few games What also remember is 1967/1968 season I as working and quite often late for work. When we had a midweek game the boss used to say to me if you are not late this week I will let you off at 2 o'clock to go to the match. I went to all midweek matches but was still late Great bosses them days. Because there was not many cars on the road them days. You had to leave work early to get home Then get the bus to roker park in time for the kick off Great days .
Im suprised at your last paragraph. Just looking at the names i was taking it for granted that it was a bloody good team. Guess i was wrong.
Relic.... I've said this before on this forum that Liverpool were a small club with no history until Shankley got hold of them and changed everything, Premiership fans go on about history as if it only started in the mid sixties or when the Premiership was formed, our club could buy and sell clubs until the late 50s when we suffered our first relegation, fell out with the FA over transfer payments and we have under performed ever since, we have had some seriously bad chairman and managers over the last 50 odd years and it doesn't look like changing any time soon.
Depends what you'd been used to. There's a lot of guys ten years younger than me who voted Hurley Sunderland's player of the century! Frankly, I find that disgusting. When that side got promoted, they struggled to survive in Div. 1. George Hardwick managed to keep them up - just. And as soon as Ian McColl came he began rebuilding it. Would I prefer to watch Shackleton or big, lumbering McPheat? The very question's a joke. But you can't expect guys who first went to matches in or after 1958 knowing that. That's life and I wouldn't criticise them.
